Home department forms JIT in Intizar murder case

Earlier, CTD's interrogation team had stopped working after questions of legality arose

KARACHI: The provincial home department has formally constituted a joint interrogation team (JIT) to investigate the murder of a Intizar Ahmed in Karachi's posh locality of Defence by personnel of the Sindh police's Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC).

The JIT was formed on Monday following an order issued by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah after he met Intizar's father, Ishtiaq Ahmed.

Before the formation of the JIT on Monday, another JIT had been investigating the murder case for some time. However, some members of the team raised questions on the legality of the team, as it had not been formed by the home department, which has the legal authority to form JITs.

According to the notification issued on Monday, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi will head the JIT while South police chief DIG Azad Khan and one representative each from the Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, Rangers and Sindh police's Special Branch will comprise the rest of the team. "The JIT will investigate the matter within 15 days and submit its report to the home department," the notification read.



"On the recommendation of the inspector-general of police and with the approval of the Sindh chief minister, a JIT is hereby constituted in FIR No 16/18 under Section 302/34 registered with the Darakhshan police station regarding the killing of Intizar Ahmed," read the notification, which was issued by the home secretary.

Nineteen-year-old Intizar Ahmed, who had arrived from Malaysia where he was studying, was shot dead in Defence on January 13 by officials and personnel of the ACLC, a specialised unit of the Sindh police. Initially, the police termed the incident an act of targeted killing. However, it was later revealed that Intizar had been shot dead by an ACLC team that comprised at least nine members, including two inspector-ranked officers and two personal security guards of then ACLC chief SSP Muquddus Haider. All nine cops were later arrested and SSP Haider was removed from his post. SSP Haider was also included in the investigations following allegations made against him by Intizar's father.

Initially, South Investigations SP Farooq Awan was appointed as the investigation officer (IO). However, the Sindh IG later appointed CTD DIG Amir Farooqui as the IO, who found that the ACLC cops were involved in the murder. DIG Farooqi also formed a JIT headed by CTD SSP Pervez Chandio.

The home department had not issued any notification of the JIT that was formed under SSP Chandio. Interestingly, questions over the legality of that JIT were raised after it had done quite a lot of work, including recording statements of all the suspects and other people included in the case.



It stopped working last week when its legality was questioned. Representatives of different law enforcement and intelligence agencies refused to work in the JIT as it had been formed by the CTD instead of the home department.

The new JIT's formation means that all the progress that had previously been made in the case has no legal cover and interrogations will be started from scratch.

 

Father calls on CM

Earlier on Monday, Ishtiaq, along with his lawyer and brother, went to CM House to meet Shah regarding his son's murder case without an appointment.

The security staff members told Ishtiaq that the CM was out. However, the father did not leave, upon which the CM was informed about his request to meet him. Shah directed the staff to let him in, met Ishtiaq, listened to his concerns and ordered the home department to notify the formation of a new JIT.

 

With an additional input from our correspondent